Ethiopia has been witnessing shortage of cotton since recent years which has become a challenge for the effectiveness of the textile industries. The Government of Ethiopia is working out short and long term mechanisms to address challenges facing the textile industry in terms of raw material shortage, said the Minister Ahmed Abitew, the Ministry of Industry.

The increasing demand for cotton among industries and low level of supply are the main drives for the shortage.

The industries are forced to operate below their capacity because of the shortage, this situation has an impact on the country's revenue earnings.

Efforts will be put forth to enable the industries operate using their full capacity thereby maximize the benefit the country gains from this sector.

Importing cotton is among the short term measures taken by the government. The government is also working to locally meet the demand for cotton by improving cotton production.